Black confident of survival

WIGAN assistant boss Eric Black believes he has seen enough in his short time at the JJB Stadium to suggest the Latics can pull themselves away from the relegation zone. Black was reunited with new Wigan manager Steve Bruce last week following the pair's successful three-year partnership at Birmingham.

WIGAN assistant boss Eric Black believes he has seen enough in his short time at the JJB Stadium to suggest the Latics can pull themselves away from the relegation zone.

Black was reunited with new Wigan manager Steve Bruce last week following the pair's successful three-year partnership at Birmingham.

Despite Saturday's encouraging 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Manchester City - a result which ended a run of eight straight defeats - the Latics remain rooted in the bottom three of the Barclays Premier League.

However, Black, who was on the touchline for the first time against Sven Goran-Eriksson's side, was impressed with what he has seen during his short spell at the club and remains confident they can steer themselves away from trouble.

"We've stopped the rot now and although the position is not ideal, we probably wouldn't have been brought in if things had been going well.

"We're not adrift yet, we know a couple of wins will see us right back in the pack and that has to be our immediate goal.

"As to the rest of the season, I am confident we can steadily pull away from trouble."

The Latics had to show resolve to bounce back from Geovanni's first-minute goal at the weekend to gain a share of the spoils - a trait which Black feels will stand them in good stead for the remainder of the campaign.

Impressed

"I have been impressed with what I've seen so far, really," he added.

"The team couldn't have got off to a worse start against Manchester City and it was the last thing we wanted, especially on the back of an eight-game losing streak and against a side that are going as well.

"However, if ever the players needed a test of character, that was it and I thought the response was magnificent."

"It would have been nice to win the game, but I thought the intensity the players played at, their attitude and their desire to win the game was first class, hopefully we can maintain that."

Bruce inherits a side that has picked up just nine points so far this season, but Black insists the duo will not be making any rash judgements on the players and will give them all the chance to impress.

"I can only judge from what I've seen," Black said.

"Steve is the same, we will make judgements on how players perform on the pitch during matches and in training and everyone starts on an even keel for me.

"We can't have much of an influence technically in such a short time, but we can affect the players."

Black has worked alongside Bruce since July 2004 and he feels their partnership could prove a crucial factor in the club's quest to avoid relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship.

"He is an honest and straightforward guy, and very good to work for," he added.

"He is ambitious and he always demands the best from his staff and from his players. We have struck up a good understanding over the years, and there needs to be partnerships on and off the field at football clubs."